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☆ Behind Nigeria’s Arrest of Binance Employee, Claims of a Bribe Request
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | Emily Flitter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Gambaryan, a former U.S. law enforcement agent, understood the message as a request for a bribe from someone in the Nigerian government, according to five people familiar with the matter and messages reviewed by The New York Times. He and a group of his Binance colleagues had just met with Nigerian legislators, who accused the company of tax violations and threatened to arrest its employees. Later that month, Mr. Gambaryan wrote a three-page report describing the payment request and gave it to Binance’s lawyers, two people familiar with the report said. The episode was the backdrop for a second trip to Nigeria that Mr. Gambaryan took in February. On his return, he and a colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were arrested by the Nigerian authorities, setting off a crisis at Binance.

Persons: Tigran Gambaryan, Gambaryan, Nadeem Anjarwalla Organizations: The New York Times Locations: Nigeria, U.S, Nigerian, Binance

☆ Opinion: India is on the climate crisis frontline. So why isn’t that an election issue?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Opinion Aditya Valiathan Pillai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

This is because climate politics looks different in the developing world; it will shape Indian elections in definitive but under-the-radar ways. Similarly, stump speeches throughout this campaign season have not featured climate change as a central issue. The headwinds of climate change are absorbed by the electoral machine and emerge as end-of-tailpipe policies rather than grand climate strategy. This pattern of climate politics is reinforced by seemingly low recognition in India of climate change as a problem. The climate impacts buffeting the most populous nation on earth aren’t just a domestic issue — they’re an international one.

Persons: Aditya Valiathan Pillai Nadeem Z, Aditya Valiathan Pillai, Read, New Delhi CNN —, Amarjeet Kumar Singh, Kabir Jhangiani, Narendra Modi, Stump, Pawan Sharma, Tamanna Dalal Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP Locations: New Delhi, India, Bangalore, Silicon, Karnataka, Mumbai, Delhi, sunburnt, Uttar Pradesh, China, Australia, Agra, Maharashtra, North Bengal, Bengal

☆ How a Crypto Compliance Officer Ended Up in a Nigerian Prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | Emily Flitter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When he flew to Nigeria for a business trip in late February, Tigran Gambaryan, a top compliance officer at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, packed a small suitcase with just enough clothes for two days. A former U.S. law enforcement agent, Mr. Gambaryan knew the trip was risky. Only a few weeks earlier, he and a group of colleagues had rushed out of Nigeria, concerned that the local authorities might detain them, five people familiar with that trip said. This time, he assured his wife, he would “get in and get out.”A month and a half later, Mr. Gambaryan is being held at Kuje prison in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, a complex that has housed Islamic State militants and Boko Haram fighters. After meeting with government officials in Abuja on Feb. 26, Mr. Gambaryan, 39, and a Binance colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were abruptly escorted to a guesthouse controlled by Nigerian security officials, where they were held for nearly a month with no formal charges filed against them.

Persons: Tigran Gambaryan, Gambaryan, “, Nadeem Anjarwalla Organizations: Islamic Locations: Nigeria, ”, Abuja

☆ Dubai World Cup: How 82 racehorses traveled to one of the world’s biggest sporting events
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Dubai World Cup boasts $30.5 million in prizes, spread across nine races (including its namesake event, with an enormous $12 million purse), and attracts many of the world’s most elite equestrians. “This is a huge operation,” says John Nicholls, quarantine manager at Dubai Racing Club. “They get plenty of water, plenty of hay, and attention.”Emirates Skycargo has been transporting champion horses from across the world to the Dubai World Cup and Carnival races since 2002. Horses travel in air-conditioned stalls in the cargo bay of a plane, which can fit up to 25 stalls, with up to three horses in each. Horses walk to Meydan Racecourse from their quarantine stable for morning track work ahead of the Dubai World Cup.

Persons: CNN —, ”, John Nicholls, Nicholls, It’s, “, Emirates Skycargo, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Nadeem Sultan, Suné Schäffler, that’s, Emirates SkyCargo, Rebecca Cairns, David Robson, Toto Wong, Hong Kong’s, Wong, Schäffler, “ they’re Organizations: CNN, Dubai, Dubai Racing Club, Emirates, Boeing, Business Class, Emirates Equine, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong Locations: Emirates, Dubai, “, Equitrans, Al, Airport, city’s, Hong Kong

Binance faces charges of alleged non-payment of Value-Added Tax (VAT) and company income tax, failure to submit tax returns and complicity in aiding customers to evade taxes through its platform, the reports said. Alongside the company, two senior executives — U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan and British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla — were both charged and remanded in custody by Nigerian authorities. "We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody. Our primary focus remains on the safety of our employees and we are working collaboratively with Nigerian authorities to quickly resolve this issue," a Binance spokesperson told CNBC. watch nowThe families of the two employees declined to comment at this time, but issued statements on March 20, following a hearing at which Nigerian authorities extended their detainment.

Persons: Budrul Chukrut, Tigran Gambaryan, Nadeem Anjarwalla —, Anjarwalla, Nadeem, Anjarwalla's, Elahe Anjarwalla, Tigran, Binance, Yuki, Samuel Alabi Organizations: Getty, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Federal High Court, —, CNBC, British, U.S ., Locals, Abuja, Afp Locations: Nigeria, Abuja, British, Binance, Nigerian, IBADAN, Ibadan

☆ Binance crypto exec reportedly on the run after busting out of custody in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nadeem Anjarwalla escaped police custody in Nigeria on Friday, Binance said. Nigeria charged Binance, Anjarwalla, and another employee of the crypto exchange with tax evasion. AdvertisementA Binance executive is reportedly on the run after busting out of police custody in Nigeria on Friday. "We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody," a Binance representative told Business Insider on Monday. On Monday, Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service said it was charging Binance, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan with tax evasion.

Persons: Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance, —, Nadeem, didn't, Bayo Onanuga, Anjarwalla, Tigran Gambaryan, They'd Organizations: Service, Nigeria's Premium Times, Bloomberg, Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service Locations: Nigeria, Africa, Abuja

☆ Analysis: At this general election in Pakistan, old dynasties vie for power and populist Imran Khan languishes in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That sets the stage for a difficult road to recovery for whoever wins in a nation where no democratically elected prime minister has ever completed a full term in office. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a lawyers' convention in Lahore on September 21, 2022. Veteran Sharif will face a strong challenge, however, from first-time candidate for Prime Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 35, son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto. Manahil Ahmed, 23, called Pakistan’s political environment “particularly hostile” right now. For Pakistan’s military and police forces, the last year was the bloodiest in a decade.

Persons: Imran Khan, –, Arif Ali, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan –, Khan, Fareed Khan, ”, Rabiya Arooj, Khan’s, Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's, Asad Zaidi, Pakistan’s, Farzana Shaikh, “, ’, Murtaza Solang, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Raza, he’s, Raja Ikram, Ameer Hamza, Manahil Ahmed, Shaikh, Hussain Nadim, Maurice R, Greenberg, ‘, Aamir Qureshi, Shoaib Tanveer, Baou Nadeem, ” Shaikh, Farooq Naeem, “ Sharif, He’s, Tim Willasey Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Getty, PTI, World Bank, Pakistan, Bloomberg, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, CNN, for Research, Security Studies, Pakistan’s People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Baloch Liberation Army, Yale University, Pakistan Army –, Workers, King’s College London Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Lahore, AFP, Karachi, “, Rawalpindi, Asia, Hafizabad, Khan’s, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, India, Afghanistan, Iran, State Khorasan, restive Balochistan, Balochistan, Punjab, Sharif, States, China, British

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's health minister said Sunday that an injectable medicine that was causing a severe eye infection and sight loss in diabetic patients in the province of Punjab has been recalled and an investigation ordered while police are looking for the suppliers. Federal Health Minister Nadeem Jan said in Islamabad that a case has been lodged against the two absconding suppliers of locally manufactured injection Avastin. The Punjab government has formed a five-member committee of experts to look into the matter and report in three days. In a televised news conference along with Jan, provincial Health Minister Jamal Nasir said diabetic patients in Lahore, Kasur and other districts were administered Avastin injections to address retinal damage. However, the injections led to severe infections, ultimately resulting in the loss of sight of a dozen patients.

Persons: Nadeem Jan, Jamal Nasir, Jan Organizations: Federal, Associated Press Locations: ISLAMABAD, Punjab, Islamabad, Lahore, Kasur

☆ Google and the Department of Defense are building an AI-powered microscope to help doctors spot cancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Zafar turned to his microscope – a canonically beloved tool in pathology that the doctors rely on to help make their diagnoses. It's an artificial intelligence-powered microscope built by Google and the U.S. Department of Defense. The AI-powered tool is called an Augmented Reality Microscope, or ARM, and Google and the Department of Defense have been quietly working on it for years. When a glass slide is prepared and fixed under the microscope, the AI is able to outline where cancer is located. For many smaller health systems, digitization is not yet worth the hassle.

Persons: Niels Olson, Nadeem Zafar, Zafar, Zafar's, Mitre Ashley Capoot, Mitre, it's, Ashley Capoot, CNBC Patrick Minot, Minot, Olson, It's, Aashima Gupta, Gupta Organizations: Microscope, U.S . Department of Defense, Google, CNBC, ARM, Department of Defense, Mitre, Minot, Defense Innovation Unit, U.S . Navy, Naval, Naval Medical Center Locations: Seattle, Mitre, Washington ,, DIU, Guam, U.S, Micronesia, San Diego, Mountain View , California

☆ Blackstone's data center gamble
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The firm has recently touted its data center investments amid the artificial intelligence boom. Blackstone's push into data centers comes with its own set of challenges and questions. "You might not own apartment buildings in 10 years, but the largest data center company in the world." Meghji said in the company's video that interest from data center users in QTS data centers had doubled "since ChatGPT came out." Gerber said he had recently discussed data center investments with Blackstone representatives and has confidence in the strategy.

Persons: Blackstone, —, Glenn Schorr, Schorr, outflows, Stephen Tuckwood, Tuckwood, Jonathan Gray, Gray, Jeenah, Chad Williams, BREIT, they're, Patrick Davitt, QTS, Nadeem Meghji, Meghji, ChatGPT, Matthew Barakat, Prince William County, redemptions, Selwyn Gerber, Gerber, Matt Malone Organizations: Blackstone, Income Trust, QTS Realty Trust, Evercore, Wealth Management, Reuters, Autonomous Research, Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, McKinsey, AP, Starwood, MSCI's, Los, RVW, Opto Investments, FS Investments Locations: California, BREIT, QTS, Americas, CBRE, Manassas , Virginia, Prince William, Virginia, Brookfield, Los Angeles, Bellagio, Las Vegas

☆ Chopra wins India's first gold at world championships in javelin
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships when he pipped Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem in the men's javelin on Sunday with an 88.17 metre effort in the final. Chopra won Olympic gold in Tokyo but managed only a silver at the worlds in Eugene last year. After the Olympic gold I really wanted to win the world championships. This is brilliant for the national team but it was my dream to win gold at the world championships," Chopra said. "I wanted to throw more than 90m tonight but it needs all parts of the puzzle to be there.

Persons: Neeraj Chopra, pipped Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, Chopra, Bobby George, Pakistan's Nadeem, Jakub Vadlejch, Nadeem, Julian Weber, Vadlejch, Kishore Jena, DP Manu, Rohith Nair, Pritha Sarkar, Toby Davis Organizations: Olympic, DP, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Tokyo, Eugene, Paris, Czech, India, Pakistan, Budapest, Germany, Bengaluru

☆ There’s a Birding Group for Everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Camille Baker | More About Camille Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s challenge for new birders: Try joining a group for an outing, or go birding with at least one new person. And if you’re already part of a birding community, tell us about it. Did you meet friends — or even your spouse — through birding? In early 2020, as Black Lives Matter protests were taking place worldwide and the pandemic was beginning to unfold, Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera founded Flock Together, a group for birders of color in Britain. “I go to these remote towns where there’s no people of color, there’s no diversity,” Mr. Olanipekun, 38, said.

Persons: —, Ollie Olanipekun, Nadeem Perera, “, Mr, Olanipekun Locations: Britain

☆ Blackstone's Nadeem Meghji: Can't paint CRE space with a broad brush due to big bifurcation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBlackstone's Nadeem Meghji: Can't paint CRE space with a broad brush due to big bifurcationNadeem Meghji, Blackstone's head of real estate for the Americas, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the current commercial real estate space, whether in-office challenges have made them reconsider their exposure, and more.

Persons: Blackstone's Nadeem Meghji, Meghji

☆ Prologis to buy industrial properties from Blackstone for $3.1 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 26 (Reuters) - Prologis Inc (PLD.N) said on Monday it has agreed to buy 14 million square feet of industrial properties from real estate funds affiliated with Blackstone (BX.N) for $3.1 billion in an all-cash deal. It currently owns 1.2 billion square feet of logistics real estate in 19 countries. With near record-low vacancy, logistics remains a high conviction theme for us," Nadeem Meghji, head of Blackstone Real Estate Americas, said. Prologis and Blackstone have completed more than a dozen transactions together in the past 11 years, according to the statement. Eastdil Secured, Barclays, BofA Securities, Citigroup Global Markets, Deutsche Bank Securities, Goldman Sachs, J.P.Morgan Securities, Morgan Stanley, PJT Partners and Wells Fargo acted as financial advisers to Blackstone.

Persons: Nadeem Meghji, Prologis, Blackstone, Eastdil, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Kannaki, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Prologis, Blackstone, Estate, Duke Realty Corp, Barclays, BofA Securities, Citigroup Global Markets, Deutsche Bank Securities, J.P.Morgan Securities, PJT Partners, Thomson Locations: Atlanta , Washington DC , California, Dallas, Las Vegas , New York, Phoenix, South Florida, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Pakistan's economic meltdown spurs more people to risk lives to reach Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

He is missing and presumed dead, according to his brother, highlighting the perils faced by people who seek to enter Europe illegally. Cash-strapped Pakistan's $350 billion economy is in a meltdown, with inflation at a record 38%. Pakistan's information ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters about economic factors fuelling migration. 3 nationality registered in Italy coming from Libya, after Egyptians and Bangladeshis, a Frontex spokesperson told Reuters in an email. At least 209 Pakistanis were believed to be on board, according to official data based on information provided by relatives.

Persons: Muhammad Sarwar Bhatti, Hameed Iqbal Bhatti, Salahuddin, Bhatti, Hafeez Pasha, Muhammad Nadeem, Nadeem, Kosar Bibi, Bibi, Sarwar Warraich, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Nazim, Nazim, Muhammad Ali, Anish Raza, Haji Ilyas, Ilyas, puffing, Israr Mirza, Mirza, Gibran Peshimam, Ariba Shahid, David Crawshaw Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Cash, Federal Investigation Agency, FIA, OF, International Monetary Fund, Migrant Resource Centre, College, Thomson Locations: Greece, Khuiratta, Pakistan, Kashmir, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Libya, Italy, Gujrat, Italian, Ferrara, Turkey, Bhojpur, Gujrat district, Spain, EU, Lahore, Islamabad

☆ Remote work is 'bullshit,' says real-estate billionaire Sam Zell, to cheers from fellow execs who profit from offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Zell said at a conference last week that remote work is "a bunch of bullshit." Office doomers abound, but real estate professionals t hink they just don't get it. Sam Zell, the notorious "Grave Dancer" of commercial real estate known for his salty tongue, is always happy to have a platform. He was in a cheeky mood, at least when the conversation turned to today's third-rail of commercial real estate: office properties abandoned by remote workers. The trend and dire outlook had real estate giant Brookfield defaulting on a loan tied to offices this month for the second time this year.

☆ Clashes between Pakistan police, former PM Khan's supporters injure several
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Mubasher Bukhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A few hundred Khan supporters gathered outside his house after a police team arrived from Islamabad to arrest him on a court order, government spokesman Amir Mir told Reuters. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers started the violence, which injured several police officials, Mir said, adding, "If Imran Khan ensures his presence in the court, it will be good, otherwise the law will take its course." "If something happens to me, or sent to jail, or they kill me, you've to prove that this nation will continue to struggle even without Imran Khan." Several of Khan's supporters were injured when the police resorted to teargas shelling, witnesses said. The workers started pelting the police with stones and bricks, and in response police directed a water cannon at them and in some cases baton charged them, he said.

☆ 'All That Breathes' director Shaunak Sen 'overwhelmed' with award nods
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sarah Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Director Shaunak Sen, whose documentary ''All That Breathes'' is BAFTA and Oscar nominated, poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters in London, Britain January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ben MakoriLONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Indian director Shaunak Sen knew he had something special when making BAFTA and Oscar nominated documentary "All That Breathes", but the 35-year-old filmmaker said it "barely... correlates with the scale" of the recognition he is getting. I also feel overwhelmed," he told Reuters of his awards and nominations. "I haven't got my bearings right yet because this means that the coordinates of life have shifted somewhat, I imagine." Sen hopes this "entanglement of human and non-human life" offers a "valuable lesson".

☆ Blackstone is stepping up evictions of hundreds of tenants across the US as a top exec vows 'cash-flow growth'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's back to business as usual: An exec said he had confidence in the firm's "cash-flow growth." About one-fifth of those holdings are tied up in an investment vehicle known as the Blackstone Real Estate Investment Trust, or BREIT. Blackstone's real-estate portfolio is outperforming competitorsThe news of Blackstone's increasing eviction efforts came days after the company announced its fourth-quarter earnings. For example, what Blackstone calls its "opportunistic" real-estate portfolio appreciated by more than 7% during 2022 in one of the most challenging markets in recent memory. The firm's core real-estate portfolio gained more than 10% in value during 2022.

☆ Blackstone's real-estate strategy, laid out in a leaked transcript, sets the stage for tenant battles over evictions and rising rents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The major real-estate investor Blackstone is playing defense as tenants scrutinize its policies. This week, tenants addressed Blackstone and an investor, UC Investments, to raise concerns. A transcript of an executive's remarks, obtained by Insider, sheds light on Blackstone's strategy. It is Blackstone, the New York-based investment giant that has become the world's largest real-estate investor. Vik Sawhney, Blackstone's chief administrative officer and global head of institutional client solutions, introduced Meghji, according to the transcript.

☆ Female students turned away as Taliban fighters enforce university ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The country’s Taliban rulers a day earlier ordered women nationwide to stop attending private and public universities effective immediately and until further notice. Rahimullah Nadeem, a spokesman for Kabul University, confirmed that classes for female students had stopped. Taliban fighters stand guard at the entrance gate of a university in Jalalabad on Wednesday. AFP - Getty ImagesMembers of an activist group called the Unity and Solidarity of Afghanistan Women gathered outside the private Edrak University in Kabul on Wednesday morning, chanting slogans in Dari. AFP - Getty ImagesQatar and Pakistan, both Muslim countries, have expressed their disappointment at the university ban and urged authorities to reconsider their decision.

One month since Arshad Sharif was killed, Kenyan and Pakistani authorities have not concluded their reports nor have there been any arrests in the case. “I have no faith in the Pakistani government,” his mother, Riffat Ara Alvi told CNN in a video interview. But I request all the international journalistic organizations and United Nations to investigate this killing,” his widow, Javeria Siddique told CNN. Arshad Sharif Sharif was a critic of the Pakistani military and an ally of former prime minister Imran Khan. Sharif and Khurram Ahmed left Ammodump around 8:30 p.m. local time, a detective involved in the case told CNN.

☆ Pakistan's powerful spy agency comes out of the shadows to deny role in the killing of a high-profile journalist in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Kenya in what police said was a case of "mistaken identity." In an unprecedented move, Pakistan's spy agency held its first-ever press conference to deny the claims. The chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, spoke to the media on Thursday alongside a military spokesperson to address Sharif's killing. Arshad Sharif, an investigative journalist known for being critical of Pakistan's powerful military, was shot dead by Kenyan police on Sunday night. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded an inquiry into Sharif's death.

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